CLEF Cleveland Ensemble Workshop
Training for ensemble musicians in Cleveland
October 10-12, 2024
CLEF ensemble workshops bring highly skilled faculty members to local churches and dioceses. The program is designed specifically for ensemble musicians with the goal of supporting musicians in leading the assembly to full, conscious, and active participation in the liturgy.
All vocalists and instrumentalists are welcome!
Training
Through large and small group sessions, the workshop offers training that is customized to the unique needs of vocalists and instrumentalists in an ensemble setting.
Prayer & Reflection
Prayer is an important part of who we are as liturgical ensemble musicians, and each workshop includes opportunities for prayer and reflection to deepen our connection to God.
Community
Ensemble workshops offer a great opportunity to connect with local liturgical musicians, in addition to connecting with the broader CLEF community.
Dates
Thursday, October 10, 6 pm to 9 pm
Friday, October 11, 8 am to 9 pm
Saturday, October 12, 8 am to 3:30 pm
Participants are invited to stay and help lead music for the 4:30 pm Mass at St. Michael on Saturday.
Location
St. Michael Catholic Church
6912 Chestnut Road
Independence, Ohio 44131
Cost
$75 per person
Registration fee includes program sessions, program workbook, concert, and breakfast and lunch on both Friday and Saturday. Lodging is not included.
CLEF requires that all program participants be 18 years or older, and all program activities are limited to registered participants. We take photographs and video/audio recordings during the program, which may be used by CLEF for marketing purposes. Attendees will be given an opportunity to opt out of photos/videos for marketing at check-in for the program. Cancellations must be submitted via email by September 15 for a refund. No refunds will be giving after that date, but a registration may be transferred to another person.
Have questions? Contact Todd Dockrill at tjd@stmichaelchurchindependence.org.
About the faculty
Jaime Cortez
Instrumental Ensemble, Guitar, Keyboard
Jaime Cortez is a talented and popular composer, arranger, and performer. Born in New York and raised in El Salvador, Jaime has dedicated a portion of his ministry to promoting better Hispanic liturgies and bringing cultures together for worship. His main instrument is guitar, though he is proficient in piano and other string instruments, such as charango, vihuela, and bass guitar. He holds a bachelor’s degree in music composition from Arizona State University. He was named Pastoral Musician of the Year in 2016 by the National Association of Pastoral Musicians (NPM).
Some of Jaime’s best-known songs are “Rain Down,” “Somos el Cuerpo de Cristo/We Are the Body of Christ” (with Bob Hurd) and “Take Up Your Cross.” He has released six solo collections with OCP, including Rain Down, Sacramentos, Adviento, Qué Alegría/I Rejoiced, Transformation and Pueblo Unido/People United. Recent collaborative projects include Gracia y Amor/Grace and Love, a collection with Bob Hurd and Eleazar Cortés and Our Common Home, a project inspired by Pope Francis’s encyclical, Laudato Si’, featuring his song “Let Us Sing as We Go,” along with music from several other well-known Catholic composers. Jaime has also translated Mass of Christ the Savior/Misa Cristo Salvador into Spanish and bilingual versions alongside Dan Schutte.
In addition to workshops, Jaime gives concerts with both English and Spanish repertoire, alone or with volunteer groups. He has many years of experience presenting workshops for pastoral musicians, Catholic teachers, and youth on liturgy, music, and ministry.
Jaime is currently director of liturgy and music at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Scottsdale, Arizona. He lives in Mesa with his wife Kari. They have three sons who are also very talented musically.
Bobby Fisher
Instrumental Ensemble, Guitar
Bobby Fisher is a world-renowned musician, music producer, recording artist, composer, and clinician. He has served a number of years as program director for the NPM Guitar Schools, Guitar and Ensemble Institutes, the Bobby Fisher Ensemble Formation Program (BFEFP), and the CLEF Summer Program. He recently retired after 25 years as the music director of St. Agnes Parish in Ft. Wright, KY.
For the past five years, he has been the music director of the Share the Journey (A Concert for Compassion) series (https://shareinthehope.com). Bobby has recorded and produced a number of his own recordings and has worked as producer and guest musician on countless others. With his daughter, Serenity, and her husband, Michael G. Ronstadt, he currently records and performs with Serenity Fisher and the Cardboard Hearts.
Bobby has recorded and published a number of music collections for OCP, GIA, Franciscan Media, and Heart to Heart Ministries and is the author of “The Pastoral Guitarist,” a guitar instructional book, and “The Liturgical Guitarist,” an instructional video. As a children’s recording artist, Bobby is best known for “Hymns and Hers for Happy Hearts,” a collection of fun and creative music for young and old children. His best-selling collections include Play Before God, Guitar Prayer, Catholic Classics Vol. III, If We Dare to Hope, and Go Out and Tell. Bobby lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, with his wife and family.
Steve Petrunak
Vocal Ensemble, Guitar
Steve Petrunak is the Director of Music at St. Blase Parish in Sterling Heights, Michigan, where he has served in music ministry for more than 43 years. He is a composer, recording artist, author, editor, and clinician. Steve was the President/CEO of the National Association of Pastoral Musicians for nearly four years and served two terms as a member of the NPM Board of Directors. He has recorded and produced multiple recordings. He has written the book with his pastor Fr. Randy Phillips entitled “Managing Music Ministry” and a three-volume liturgical guitar methodology entitled “Beyond Strumming,” all with GIA Publications. Steve has also recorded more than 800 guitar-based instrumental recordings distributed across multiple streaming and download platforms (including Spotify, Pandora, Amazon Music, and Apple Music). Steve lives in Washington, Michigan, with his wife, Ruth.
Frequently asked questions
CLEF defines a liturgical ensemble as any group in which two or more musicians are gathered to lead music for liturgy. Ensembles may be solely instrumental, or they may consist of a group of instruments accompanying one or more singers.
Since the early days following the Second Vatican Council, ensembles have played a significant role in fostering full, conscious, and active participation in the liturgy. From the early folk groups to today’s contemporary ensembles or groups with a distinct name, ensembles have become a leading voice in many churches.
To that end, it is our goal to support the ensemble musician, be they an instrumentalist, cantor, or choral singer. Our program provides sessions for instrumentalists and vocalists to work in separate groups and as a combined ensemble.
We are an inclusive community where all are welcome regardless of gender, race, culture, age, or ability. We welcome musicians of all skill levels, from church communities large and small, urban and rural, whether paid staff or volunteers.
We welcome both individual and group registrations for CLEF ensemble workshops. Payment can be made by credit card or ACH when registering online, or you may bring check or cash the day of the program.
If registering online for a group and submitting one payment, please provide the first and last name for each registrant and an email address (optional) so we can contact them with reminders about the program.
No, you don’t need to be Catholic to attend this program or access our online CLEF Life resources. While our founding board members and faculty primarily serve as ensemble musicians in Catholic church communities, we have multiple ensemble musicians from other faith traditions as part of the CLEF community and as participants at our programs. To quote a popular song from our faith tradition, “All are welcome.”